The U.S. Department of State operates a lottery that provides a maximum of 50,000 green cards to eligible individuals. The Department of State designates qualified countries each year, and only natives of those countries may participate. In certain circumstances, spouses of eligible individuals may also register for the DV lottery. Each person who registers for the lottery must have either (1) high school education or foreign or (2) two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience as a minimum requirement for entry into the occupation.

Registration is simple. Applicants must mail their information and photograph directly to the Department of State during a designated period once each year. There is no application form. For more information on the dates and instructions for the Diversity Visa Lottery registration, you may visit the Department of State web site at http://www.travel.state.gov/DV2004.html.